Through a portfolio of original compositions, students will explore and develop a range of compositional techniques and new creative approaches. Whilst personal aesthetic convictions are respected, a willingness to expand one's awareness and a desire for creative investigation are also expected. Presented topics, upon which composition assignments are based, will introduce students to number of aesthetic and technical aspects of contemporary music. Workshop-style sessions provide the opportunity to review compositional decisions and to monitor progress. Students will also contribute regularly to personal Listening Diaries in order to broaden their appreciation of contemporary repertoire and to demonstrate their analytical skills.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
compose original works of music for small ensemble, demonstrating a high level of technical competence and creativity.
demonstrate a broad contextual understanding of both aesthetic and technical aspects of contemporary music for small ensemble.
to produce accurate and practically presented small-ensemble performance materials, including scores and parts.
to communicate ideas and insights concerning small-ensemble composition with confidence and clarity through written analyses and musical notation.
Assessment: 80% Composition Portfolio; three original works for small ensemble, each approximately 3-minutes in duration (2000 words equivalent). 20% Listening Diary; portfolio of short analytical reflections, relating to musical works discussed during lectures (500 words in total). Reassessment: Re-submit failed component